Chance of early death 3 times more likely after brain injury

On behalf of Dawkins & Gowens Law Firm posted in Brain Injury on Wednesday, February 5, 2014.

There is rarely any good news regarding the effects of a brain injury, and unfortunately, a JAMA Psychiatry study published on Jan. 15 reaches yet another negative conclusion. The life expectancy of someone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury may be three times lower than that of someone who has not had a similar injury, according to the study.

The study looked at 218,300 patients who received care for TBI over a 40-year span, from 1969 to 2009. Each patient was born in 1954 or after, and the subjects of the study must also have lived at least six months after the injury occurred. For the purposes of the study, the researchers regarded death before age 54 as being premature.

Here are some study results:

Of people who had never had a TBI, only 0.2 percent died prematurely.

People who suffered a TBI were three times more likely to die prematurely.

People who had a psychological diagnosis before the TBI were 20 times more likely to die prematurely.

Studies such as this one provide evidence that long-term support is needed for brain injury victims. Many TBI survivors are susceptible to depression or substance abuse, which could be helped with proper treatment.

When someone suffers a brain injury in an accident, the main goal of a lawsuit against the person who caused the accident is to compensate the victim. That compensation may include receiving money for current medical expenses, long-term care and physical and mental limitations that may result from the injury, including permanent disability.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious brain injury, it may be a good idea to speak with an Oklahoma attorney with experience in these issues. An attorney can assess the full measure of damages resulting from another party’s negligent or reckless actions.

The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.